The Vines That Hold Us
by RachelGoesRawr
Summary: I came onto this journey in search of who I was, and to help a group of dwarves reclaim their home. I was not searching for love, but I got it anyways. All I wanted to do was escape the mystery that plagued me. Who was I? How could I escape the vines that held me? ThorinxOC
1. Chapter 1

_A/n: I'm not sure how far I will go with this, but I will say that it is up to you! My writing ability depends on the feedback I get from you, because the love I have for the plotline is matched by the love you have for it!_

**_Review if you like it or love or if I'm not quite hitting the spot. Don't be rude, because I'll be rude back. Much Love._**

Chapter One

I never knew what I was, that was for certain. I was a bit too tall to be a hobbit, but I was never taller than a dwarf. My body had far too many curves for me to have any relation to the elves, whose bodies were lean and without any noticeable fat. But my skin was far, my hair was dark, and my eyes were the shade of tree bark. Though I was small, I was fast and light on my feet. I could easily climb trees and make makeshift weapons from whatever I could find. My body enabled me to do all of this. My hands, though small, were strong. I surprised myself some days at what I could do, and it left an empty hole in my chest whenever I thought that knowing what I was would probably help me understand. The closest thing I had to knowing what I was was the small memories I had of my mother.

My mother was a little taller than I am now, with red hair and the same colored eyes that I possess. Her body build was the same as mine, but her legs were never as strong. When I was young, she would order me to stay in the house that was forged from large trees. Once I was able to walk well and speak with her, she would then take me outside and teach me things. She would teach me how to read, write, and summon things. I learned how to talk to small animals and sense when major weather changes were about to happen. I was reaching maturity when my mother took me on one last lesson. She showed me the way through the forest so that I could feel my way around it. We had only reached the end of the trees when a sense of dread came into my belly. My mother looked at me and I knew she had sensed it too. She pushed me as hard as she could back into the trees and I had only had enough time to see a large spit of fire head towards her. The heat hit my face and I did my best not to scream as I watched as the flames drowned my mother. Once it died down, I watched as a large, winged beast flew away from the ashes of the trees, the grass, and the body of my mother that it destroyed.

I ran for days after it. I knew not where I was going and I did not care. I was scared and without someone that I had cared and loved for, and who had cared and loved me. I was deep within an unfamiliar forest by the time I got tired. My pants were worn and my shirt was dirty, but I did not care. I fell into the ground and sobbed as much as I could. I was scared that I was next, that the dragon would take me as well. I cried out for help as I lied on piles of branches and leaves. I heard the trees creak and crack over my sobs. When I looked up, the trees had spun and turned and made a house around me. It was similar to the one I had with my mother and I realized something else about the race I was: I could speak to trees and they could speak to me.

The years passed on and I learned things by myself. Four years after my mother's death, I noticed that my arms started to change. My fair arms started to form drawings on them. Large, black vines weaved around my arms and I was unable to wash them away. They weren't very large, but they puzzled me greatly. I do not remember my mother having them, but I don't remember much of my mother at all these days. I lived a quiet life in the forest, safe and sound.

This was disrupted by three knocks at my door. I had just gotten finished cleaning around my tree house and I was curious as to whom or what could be visiting me. No one came to see me. I didn't know anyone. I hesitantly walked towards the door and opened it. I looked up and met the blue eyes of an older man dressed in all grey, with a pointed hat on the top of his head and a staff in his hand. He gave me a soft, kind smile and I tilted my head to the side. I didn't know who he was. Why was he here?

"Ah, I'm sorry that I did not send you a letter stating that I would come to visit you," he told. His voice was slightly hoarse, but it sounded pleasing. "But I would much rather talk to you inside of your home, if that is okay with you."

He spoke the language of Men, and I was happy that my mother taught my some of it. I nodded once and pushed my sleeves down my arms as if to hide my vines. I slowly opened the door as far as I could. The man ducked in and sat on a small, wooden couch that I had in the room. He smiled warmly at me and I offered him a small one in return as I sat in a small chair across from him.

"Who are you?" I asked. I spoke slowly to make sure that I was speaking the correct language, and I was pleased when his smile widened.

"My name is Gandalf and I'm a wizard searching for someone that could help me on a quest," he told. A wizard! I had never met or seen a wizard before! "I believe that person is you."

"A quest?" I asked. "I've never been on one of those. I haven't done much outside of the daily things I do at home."

"That is exactly why I need you. You can do things that no one else can," Gandalf said. "The quest is simply to help a group of dwarves take back their homeland, miss."

"Dwarves lost their home?" I asked with a sympathetic expression on my face. "How?"

"A dragon destroyed it and took it for their gold, my lady. It ruined their family and they have decided to finally take it back. With your help, we can surely help them."

A dragon had destroyed their home just like they had destroyed mine. Though there was nothing that could bring my mother back, the thought that I could help others get something back made a sense of happiness flood into my system. But I knew that the task wouldn't be as simple as Gandalf made it appear to be. I looked up at him with a questioning expression.

"But, what will happen after I help these dwarves? What will I get for my service?" I asked. "I do not want to die in vain if this doesn't work, Gandalf."

"You would get a rather large piece of the treasure that lies within their home."

"But that is not guaranteed."

He gave me a look that suggested that he suddenly went into deep thought as he looked at me. After a moment, he gave half a smiled and leaned towards me.

"I know you wish to know what you are, little one. I know someone who might know and could help you," he told. "If you join me on this journey, I can certainly lead you towards him. You might be able to find answers there."

I looked at him with my brown eyes turning hopeful. Answers. Perhaps that was all I needed to find others like me. To find anyone who knew my mother. To find anyone who might be a part of my family. I nodded a few times and Gandalf beamed at me.

"Well, then I suggest we start getting you ready for our journey to meet with the dwarves in the Shire. Would you like to pack some things, Miss…?" he trailed off and I shrugged.

"I do not have a name, Gandalf."

"Do not have a name?" he asked as if it were the most blasphemous thing he had ever heard. "Well, we'll have to change that. We can't have you running around with no name in the company of dwarves. Valar knows what they will call you."

"Then what shall I be called?" I asked.

"Auralee. It suits you quite well, my dear. Now, let's get you ready to go on this rather unexpected journey of our's."


	2. Chapter 2

A/n: I honestly didn't expect to get such great feedback from all of you! Thanks who decided to favorite, follow, and review! Special thanks go to Fellowship of Avengers, LalaithElerrina, Artemis Faery, and crystal-wolf-guardian-967 for their reviews, comments, and concerns! They are the reason I am updating.

_**Chapter Two**_

"_My life has to be like this…it's got to keep going on."-Jay Gatsby (The Great Gatsby, 2013)_

Our journey began shortly after I had packed a few belongings with me and said goodbye to the trees that had kept me safe. The bag I carried was small since I didn't have many clothes and I was happy to travel light as Gandalf began to lead me through the forest I called home. We traveled at a decent pace for a few days and the weather would remain fair for days. But our journey stopped when we reached a small village that I learned was not too far away from our destination. Gandalf told me that the Shire was east from this village called Bree. There was a decently large crowd in the streets and I shuffled nervously behind my wizard friend in order to hide from them. I didn't want them to see my arms and question me. We walked into a small inn and Gandalf spoke to someone who I assumed worked here. I sat down at a small table and fiddled with my fingers as I waited.

"We will stay here for the night, Auralee," he told as he sat in front of me with two rather large cups in his hands. He took off his pointed hat and placed it on the table before placing one of the cups in front of me. "This may not have the best taste, my dear, but it should quench our thirst for the meanwhile."

I picked it up and looked into the wooden cup and was puzzled when I couldn't really tell what color it was. The smell wasn't quite there so I pictured it to be water and I took a rather big drink from the cup. The taste was rather awful and was nothing compared to the water that I used to drink from the springs around my tree house. I felt my face twist into a disgusted expression but I swallowed the liquid despite the urge to spit it out. I looked up at Gandalf to see him chuckling at me.

"What is that?" I asked.

"It's a type of drink that is not bad taken in small doses, but it could get you rather drunk if you're not careful." He chuckled again when I looked down at the drink once more with a rather sour look on my face. "I promise that when we meet up with the rest of our company tomorrow night that our host shall have something much better to drink."

"Our host?"

"Indeed, Auralee. We are taking a trip to see one Bilbo Baggins in hopes that he will become the burglar for this company of dwarves we are helping."

"Burglar?" I asked with my head tilting to the side.

"The dragon we might encounter does not know the smell of a hobbit. It would greatly aid us if Mr. Baggins decided to join us," Gandalf said.

"What's my job?"

"That is a question you need to answer for yourself, my dear. I will not force you to do anything, but I can sense a bit of magic in you. I know that you understand and can speak with the trees and sense when the weather will change. Those little things can help us in the most profound of ways, Auralee. I also hope to help you find someone else like you and to help you find what other magical powers that you might possess."

"I'm not magical," I said as I shook my head.

"Oh, but you are. You just don't know it, yet," he replied with a certain twinkle of knowledge in his eyes. "But besides your personal journey of discovery, we also must remember that we are helping people take back their home from a dragon. Dwarves, my dear, are odd and fascinating at the same time. They are often stubborn and proud, so you must watch what you do and say around some of them. They are only a bit taller than you, and the hobbit will be shorter than you."

"How many dwarves will be in this company?"

"Let's see…Oin, Bofur, Dwalin, Bombur, Ori, Balin, Gloin, Dori, Bifur, Nori, Fili, Kili, and Thorin."

"Thirteen dwarves?" I asked in a flabbergasted tone.

"Yes, it would seem so. I must warn you now that I do not think that their leader will be too fond of a female joining us, but don't let his pride do anything to turn you away from helping the others. Thorin is quite the stubborn prince, but I have faith that he will come around eventually," Gandalf told as he sipped from his cup. "Let us stop this talk of business for now. I want to ask you a few questions, if that would be alright."

"What kind of questions?" I asked. It seemed like I was the only one that had questions.

"I wish to know more about you so that when the time comes, I can explain more in depth to the person we're going to speak to about what you could possibly be." I hesitantly nodded and Gandalf gave me a soft smile. "Even though I sense that you do not like talking about it, I wish to know about the markings on your arms."

"I don't know what they are," I answered honestly. "They appeared sometime after my mother died, but she never had them."

"You had a mother?"

"Yes."

"What happened to her?"

"She was…a dragon killed her," I told, not really wanting to detail the death.

"I see, is this why you want to join the journey?" He asked and I nodded.

"I can make my own homes from trees no matter where I go, Gandalf. I lost my mother, but I could not imagine losing my family and my home like they must have," I said. "I shall help in any way I can."

"Well, I say we rest before we start to help." Gandalf put a key in front of me and smiled. "You have you own room, my dear, and I suggest you make good use of it now. Only the stars know when we are going to be able to sleep in a real bed after tomorrow."

-V-

The next morning, I woke up in a pleasant mood. I got to bath in the small tub that came with my room and the bed was quite comfortable. I started early and started getting dressed and ready for the day to start. We would meet Bilbo Baggins today and start our adventure. I opened the door to go downstairs to wait for Gandalf but was thoroughly surprised to see him at my door.

"Auralee, I think it is high time that we be on our way," he said with a warm smile. I nodded and left my key on the desk, just like Gandalf informed me to do before we made our way out of the Prancing Pony, the name of which I learned last night. I made sure my arms were covered as we passed by people and I smiled slightly as we began to travel.

We traveled through the Old Forest and across the Brandywine Bridge in relatively good time and I found myself in awe as we reach the Shire. The hobbits were smaller than me, as Gandalf had told me in Bree, and they were quite hairy. But they were delightfully friendly as we passed by them. Their homes were built into the ground and must have been rather large. Some had built homes in trees and I smiled with slight joy. Yes, hobbits were quite cute. Finally, we turned a rather large corner to see a hobbit sitting on a bench while smoking some type of pipe. His hair was a brown color that had a reddish tint to it and his eyes appeared to be blue as they lifted up to look at us. He wore a white long shirt with a bright, yellow vest over it. His pants appeared to be both green and gray, a color that most hobbits seemed to like. He shuffled nervously underneath Gandalf's gaze.

"Good morning?" he greeted with some skepticism.

"What do you mean? Do you wish me a good morning or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it to be or not or that you feel good this morning or that it is a morning to be good on?" Gandalf asked and Bilbo and I seemed rather confused. "

"All of them at once, I suppose," he offered. "Can I help you?"

"That remains to be seen," Gandalf mumbled as he studied the hobbit. "I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure."

"An adventure?" Bilbo asked as he looked up at the wizard with a slightly surprised expression. I noticed that he quickly began to get nervous and I tilted my head. "No, I don't imagine anyone west of Bree would have much interest in adventures."

He got up from his post with our eyes following him as he went to his mailbox and grabbed a handful of letters as he put the pipe back in his mouth. He was muttering about how adventures make people late for dinner and I was more interested in this rather timid, fidgety hobbit that was supposed to become a burglar. He shuffled nervously as his eyes flickered at us several times before turning to walk away, awkwardly wishing us another 'good morning.'

"To think that I should have lived to be 'good morning' by Belladonna Took's son, who used to sell buttons at the door," Gandalf said as he walked after Bilbo.

"Pardon me?"

"You've changed, Bilbo Baggins, and not for the better."

"Excuse me, do I know you?" he asked.

"You know my name but you don't remember I belong to it. I'm Gandalf and Gandalf means I'm…me," he stated.

"Not Gandalf the Wandering Wizard who used to light fireworks?" Bilbo asked and gushed about how it looked during the summer nights. "I didn't think you were still in business."

"And where should I be?" Gandalf asked, and it sounded like he took slight offense

"Well…," Bilbo said, gesturing with his pipe and I quietly giggled to myself. Bilbo thought that Gandalf must have been dead and the situation must have gotten more awkward for him now.

"Well, I'm pleased to find you remember something about me. Even if it's only my fireworks," Gandalf said. "Then it is decided. It would be most fortunate for you, and very amusing for me. I shall inform the others."

"Inform the others?" Bilbo asked in a shocked tone. "No! We do not want any adventures here, thank you. Not today, I suggest you try Overhill or across the water….good morning!"

With that he retreated back into his hobbit hole and I watched as Gandalf marked on his large, green door. He turned back to me and started to walk off and I hurriedly chased after him.

"Wait, is that it?" I asked and he turned to me with a cheeky grin.

"No, my dear. We shall be returning later on tonight. Then our adventure shall start."


	3. Chapter 3

A/n: Review! Review! Review! That's all I can say to help you guys get more updates from me! I appreciate everything you guys have done so far, but let's keep it going! Thanks to:Crystal-Wolf-Guardian-967, Fellowship of Avengers, and Artemis Fae.

For those who are questioning who Auralee really is and what race she is, I think I've settled on everything. Keep reading to find out!

_**Chapter Three**_

"_I'm ready to leave, I'm ready to live, I'm ready to go!"-Panic! At The Disco (Ready To Go)_

Gandalf and I spent the rest of the time wandering around the Shire and I couldn't help but feel peaceful. The wind was soft as it caressed the skin of my face. My hair was flying wildly and I wanted to just stay on the grassy hill for all of the years to come. I began to understand why Bilbo Baggins didn't want to leave. The Shire was so beautiful and filled with peace that it made me comfortable. There weren't a lot of trees, but its green grass and shining sun made up for it. The sun began to set and I closed my eyes to remember the utter quiet that would be absent from my life in just a few moments. I sighed deeply and I heard Gandalf chuckle. I opened my eyes slowly and looked at him. He sat with his legs crossed next to me, his staff carefully placed on the ground beside him.

"You feel it, too?" he asked and I nodded. "The Shire has always been a great place to visit for me. If I was a hobbit, I would gladly live here."

"If you would do that, then why are we asking for Bilbo to leave his home?" I asked out of pure curiosity.

"Because, dear Auralee, Bilbo will become the burglar our company needs whether we believe so or not." He sighed deeply as we watched the sun begin to set. "May I ask you a question?"

"I think so," I replied.

"Why do you hide the markings on your arms? I know we spoke a little about them in Bree, but you seemed very reserved about them."

I swallowed deeply and looked at them, though they were covered by fabric. I hesitated and bit the inside of my cheek as I looked back up at the sunset.

"No one has them, not even my own mother had them. I have seen people now that you have led me here, and I do not know what I am. I don't want people to question me and not have answers," I told.

"But they are not ugly."

"Nor are they beautiful in my eyes. Nothing is beautiful if it doesn't have a meaning."

"That is not true, Auralee," Gandalf objected as the sun finally fell underneath the beautiful hills and disappeared. "Life does not have a true meaning quite yet, and I don't think it ever will. Men will ponder the subject for years to come and never find out the meaning of life. But even though life does not have a true meaning, it is still beautiful."

We remained silent for a moment and I looked up from my arms and sighed once more. Gandalf then looked at me then stood up.

"I believe it is time we went back to Bilbo's to check and see if our company has arrived."

I stood up and quickly began to follow him back over the hills from which we came. I gasped when I saw a rather large group of dwarves in front of the front door of the Baggins residence. Just as we had reached the group of what appeared to be eight dwarves, the door had opened then they all fell forward and onto each other. A frustrated looking Bilbo looked up at Gandalf and muttered his name, understanding now why so many dwarves had come into his home. Once they had gotten to their feet, they hurried into the house and went in search of food. Gandalf watched in amusement as the dwarves made themselves at home. I walked up to Bilbo and gave him an apologetic smile.

"Did you know that this was going to happen?" he asked and I shook my head. He sighed heavily and then noticed how his new guests were appearing to destroy his home. "Hey! Put that back! Don't you think that is a bit excessive? Do you have a cheese knife?"

"Cheese knife?" another hobbit with think eyebrows and an oddly shaped hat replied. "He eats it by the block!"

Meanwhile, Gandalf had been helping set a rather large table for dinner before he came out of the small room and began to count on his fingers as the dwarves passed by him. He got to the number twelve before he suddenly stopped and a dwarf with black hair, a graying beard, and a large piece of metal engraved in his forehead stepped up and spoke some strange dialect to Gandalf before hitting his braced forearm.

"Yes, you are quite right, Bifur," Gandalf replied as the dwarf walked off. "We appear to be one dwarf short."

"He is late is all," told another dwarf with a bald head and brown beard. "He travelled north to have a meeting with our kin. He will be here."

"Mr. Gandalf!" called another dwarf and my head began to spin at the amount that were whizzing around me. This one had a white beard that appeared to intertwine with the hair on his head. "A little glass of red wine as requested. It has a fruity bouquet."

"Oh, cheers!" he replied as he took it and sipped it, seeing as there wasn't very much in the tiny glass that he received.

Once the food was put onto the table, I watched next to Bilbo as Gandalf and the dwarves began to enjoy their large meal. Some threw food into the mouths of others while some laughed and my eye widened. I wasn't exactly sure how to react, but I felt like Bilbo's was more real than anything. He looked back into his pantry and frowned at how empty it was and I felt a bit of pity. The party behind us went quiet and I turned to see them all drinking ale. It wasn't long before they had put their cups down and a select few burped loudly and the room went back into an uproar of laughter. Dinner remained this way until the food began to disappear, then the dwarves scattered around the house.

"My dear Bilbo, what's the matter?" Gandalf asked as he walked into the kitchen some time later with a cup in his hand.

"What's the matter? I'm surrounded by dwarves. What are they doing here?" Bilbo replied in a frustrated tone.

"Oh, they're quite a merry gathering once you get used to them."

"Look at the state of my kitchen! They ruined the carpet, they pillaged the pantry. I'm not even going to tell you what they did in the bathroom; they've all but destroyed the plumbing. I don't understand what they're doing in my house!" Bilbo exasperated. A dwarf with sandy brown hair that appeared to be a little younger than the rest walked up to him once he had finished.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but what should I do with my plate?" He asked politely and a blonde dwarf walked up to him.

"Here you go, Ori, give it to me," he said before he took it from 'Ori' and tossed it to a brunette dwarf with a small beard, who I had learned was his brother. The brother threw it over his shoulder and I watched as everyone began doing this as the dishes began to pile into the kitchen, where Bifur would wash them. In the other room, some of the dwarves where tapping their silverware on the table and then scratching the knives together in rhythm.

"Can you not do that? You'll blunt the knives!" Bilbo asked loudly.

"Did you hear that, lads? He says we'll blunt the knives!" The dwarf with the odd hat teased. From the other room, I could hear the brother of the blonde dwarf begin to singe and soon everyone joined in with him.

_Blunt the knives bend the forks!  
Smash the bottles and burn the corks!  
Chip the glasses and crack the plates!  
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates -_

Cut the cloth tread on the fat!  
Leave the bones on the bedroom mat!  
Pour the milk on the pantry floor!

Splash the wine on every door!  
Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl;  
Pound them up with a thumping pole;  
And when you've finished, if they are whole,  
Send them down the hall to roll!

_That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!_

When the song ended and Bilbo came into his dining room, the dwarves laughed at the surprised look on his face as he saw his dishes were now clean and stacked neatly. The laughter did not last long, for three loud knocks sounded on the front door.

"He is here," Gandalf said in a low tone.

We followed him towards the door and I stood behind Bilbo as Gandalf opened the door. A dwarf with long, slightly wavy black hair appeared at the door. In the top strands of his hair were lines of gray, which showed signs a hard life because he did not look old enough to have them. Along with the gray strands were some braids here and there, which appeared to be a custom within his race. His beard was not as extravagant or long as some of the others', but it was well groomed and tidy. His eyes were a light blue but appeared to be as hard as stone.

"Gandalf," he greeted as he entered the house and began to take off his cloak. He wore what appeared to be a vest of fur with a royal blue tunic underneath it, and a pair of black pants, and large black boots. "I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I almost lost my way here, twice. I would have never found it had it not been for that mark on the door."

"There is not mark on the door, it was painted a week ago!" Bilbo insisted.

"There is a mark on the door, I put it there myself," Gandalf told as the new dwarf placed his cloak somewhere in the room. "Bilbo, I would like to introduce you to the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield."

"So, this is the hobbit," Thorin said as he crossed his arms in front of him. His voice was deep and I watched as Bilbo suddenly became much more timid underneath the dwarf's gaze. "Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?"

"Pardon me?" he asked as the rest of the company appeared to watch him.

"Axe or sword, what is your weapon of choice?"

"Well, I do have some skill at conkers, if you must know. But I fail to see why that's relevant," Bilbo replied with his head high.

"I thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar," Thorin remarked and I saw Bilbo's cheeks turn a slightly red as the dwarves around us laughed. Thorin then turned to me and looked at me up and down. I pulled down the sleeves of my shirt, making sure my markings would not be seen by him. "You must be the woman Gandalf informed me of. What is your name?"

"I have given her the name Auralee, for she had not had one before," Gandalf told. "In fact, she has already signed the contract that you had Balin send to me."

"I figure that since Gandalf is talk for you that you are mute," Thorin said as he looked at me. I decided not talking would probably be the best route to take. "A mute woman, Gandalf? How will this help us in our journey?"

"You shall see, Thorin. I swear."

I looked at Gandalf as he handed a roll of paper that I assumed was the contract that I had signed earlier in the day. Thorin handed it to Balin and turned to walk into the kitchen. I had suddenly grown so tired and decided that I would ignore the company of dwarves for the night as I went outside and climbed up the tree that was nearest to Bilbo's house. It was here that I would stay for the night, in peace. For when the daylight comes, I would start on the adventure that I was promised


	4. Chapter 4

A/n: I've been so happy to see everyone reviewing, especially the lovely Fellowship of Avengers, Crystal-Wolf-Guardian-967, Just4Me, teddy bear 007, and Cattra1992! I would like to have **4 reviews** for each update in order to give you the new chapter later on! Thanks to the lovely David Bowie for inspiring me to right this chapter, so that I may write the next few ones that will help us discover the race that Auralee belongs to.

**Chapter Three**

"_I'm going on an adventure!"-Bilbo Baggins_

I woke up in the early hours of the morning to the feeling of some odd object poking into my ribcage. I slowly opening my eyes and looked down at the pair of dwarves that were beaming at me. I knew they were brothers, they were the dwarves that started throwing Bilbo's dishes last night. I was unsure of their names, but their similar smiles were friendly enough that I gave a small one back.

"Filli," the blonde dwarf introduced.

"Killi," the brunette one added before they both bowed and told me that they were at my service. "We were asked to get you in order to start our journey, my lady."

"Do you require any assistance getting down?" Filli asked and I answered him by sliding off of the branch by myself. "If I have your permission, may I ask if you are truly mute?"

I looked at him with wide eyes and his brother seemed just as eager to hear my answer. I pulled on the ends of my sleeves, suddenly very uncomfortable as they watched me before I shook my head.

"No, I am not mute. I just don't feel the need to talk all of the time," I told and they both smiled brightly.

"Then we must be special!" Killi said as he wrapped his arm around my waist and began walking towards a flock of ponies. Filli followed suit shortly after by wrapping his arm around my waist from the other side.

"For you only speak to people of great importance," Filli added. "I know she speaks with Gandalf!"

"Then we must be of extremely great importance, brother!"

"Then it is settled!" Filli looked at me with a proud smirk and both brothers bowed their heads. "We shall never leave your side, Lady Auralee. We are forever loyal to you as you are to us."

"That's…" I said and stopped once they walked away to tend to their ponies. I wasn't sure what just happened, and I wasn't too sure if it was a good thing or not.

"I see you have already made two friends, Auralee," the voice of Gandalf stated from behind me. I turned around and sighed.

"I'm not too sure that's what I intended to do," I told and he chuckled.

"I've gotten both of our ponies ready, my dear. This is Henri and he will be your's," Gandalf told as he pointed to a black and white pony who bowed his head when introduced. I giggled and petted his long mane. "I suggest you get on him. Thorin will be leading us on our journey in a matter of moments, my dear."

"We are to leave," Thorin's voice called loudly amongst the company that had been getting ready to travel. I looked up at him from underneath my eyelashes. His shoulders were back and his body language demanded authority from all around him. There was something oddly regal about him, but I couldn't truly be the judge of that. This was the first time I had seen anyone different besides my mother. I knew nothing of other races and of royalty, but there was something about him that I would hope I would later find out. Was he really a prince, like Gandalf said? I watched as he looked back and watched me get onto Henri, a scowl evident on his face as the herd of ponies began to move.

I stayed next to Gandalf for the duration of time that we were travelling and remained quiet. There were light jokes here and there amongst the dwarves, and I enjoyed the ones that I understood. I expected them to be a lot noisier and more rambunctious, but I found that I was pleasantly wrong. I was bonding with Henri well enough and I was starting to really enjoy the adventure. But I heard the sound of a dwarf, Bofur, asking if anyone was up for a bet.

"I bet ten pieces that Bilbo will not show up!" He yelled and the dwarves started chiming in. It seemed very few believed that the hobbit would come and I tilted my head to the side at this.

"So," Gandalf started and I looked at him. "I have a feeling he shall come, but is there anything you can do to help me verify this feeling?"

I turned away from him for a small moment and I felt my ears perk up at the sound of the trees. They whistled slightly and the wind lightly touched my cheeks. The trees spoke of the nice weather and the distinct sound of feet running towards our company. I smiled and looked back at Gandalf and nodded.

"I will join in!" Gandalf spoke up with a slight smirk on his face. "I vote that Bilbo shows!"

"What of you, Auralee?" Filli asked as he turned his head to look at me, a smile on his face. "What do you vote?"

"You forget, Filli, that the woman is mute," Thorin spoke. He didn't even turn his head to look at me and I tilted my head at the rather odd attitude he carried.

"She has spoken to us, Uncle!" Killi called and everyone turned to look at me.

"Now why in Durin's name would she talk to you two?" Bofur joked.

"We are special!" Killi shouted without abandon.

"That is a word that I would definitely associate with the pair of you, indeed," Bofur replied and the company laughed merrily. "But, what does the lady say? Do you think the hobbit will show?"

I bit my lip, debating on answering verbally but decided against it. I wasn't quite comfortable with the rest of the company quite yet, and I wasn't even too sure I was comfortable with the two brothers who had befriended me rather quickly. I nodded once and I watched as the dwarf grinned at me. From behind us, I heard the sound of feet rushing towards us and I grinned back happily. I turned my head and saw Bilbo sprinting towards our company, a pack on his back and the contract in his hand flapping wildly in the wind.

"Wait! Wait!" He called and everyone slowed down to a stop so that they could turn and look at him. He approached Balin with a happy smile and handed him the contract. "I signed it!"

"Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, Mr. Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield," Balin said as he rolled the contact up and put it in one of his packs for safe keeping. I smiled warmly at Bilbo and the rest of the company seemed pleased that he decided to join us.

"Get him a pony," Thorin ordered and I looked back at him. He did not seem as pleased.

"No, no, no, no. That won't be necessary! Thank you, but I'm sure I can keep up on foot," he told and began to ramble about how far he once walked. Filli and Killi scooped him up by the clothes on his shoulders and settled him onto one of the free ponies we had.

He settled onto the animal and looked like he wasn't as comfortable as the rest of us were. Gandalf and I had drifted back and began to ride next to him. From the front of the company, a dwarf called for Nori to "pay up." I grinned again and Gandalf seemed to try to hide a smirk. Bags of coins began to fly into the hands of the dwarves and Bilbo asked what was happening.

"They took wages on whether or not you'd turn up. Most of them bet that you wouldn't," Gandalf told.

"What did you think?"

Gandalf barely had enough time to reply for two bags flew towards us and we caught them. The wizard chuckled and put the small bag of coins into a bag he carried on his person.

"My dear fellow, I did not doubt you for a moment," he told Bilbo, who turned towards me.

"You did not doubt me?" He asked.

"I would never doubt you, Bilbo," I said quietly as I leaned towards him. I felt comfortable around him; there was no doubt about it. He had a comfortable energy around him and I found it quite comforting.

"Aw!" I heard the Killi shout. "Bilbo is special, too!"

I laughed quietly to myself and the company continued on, save for the minor stop we had to make because Bilbo wanted to go back to the Shire to get his handkerchief. But we did not, we kept going. We travelled a long ways. I awed at the scenery that was alive with hills and mountains and deep forests, where the trees seemed to welcome me and offer me shelter. I politely declined. The company would sing songs and make jokes along the way, but Thorin did not seem to enjoy any of it. When night came, we found a small cave to dwell in and we set up camp. A majority of the group had fallen asleep, save for the two brothers, Gandalf, Balin, Bilbo, Thorin, and I. Gandalf quietly smoked his pipe, Balin and the two brothers sat by the fire, and Thorin sat on a rock at the entrance of the cave. Bilbo had been woken up by the snores of Gloin, and he stretched before walking towards the ponies. He had bonded with his pony, and I smiled as I watched as he fed it a red apple. An odd screaming far away in the night caused us all to look up. I had been settled on the other side of the entrance to the cave, keeping to myself.

"What was that?" Bilbo asked with wide eyes.

"Orcs," Killi answered in a dark tone.

"Orcs!" Bilbo said and got closer to the fire. Thorin, who I thought had been away, sat up straight suddenly and looked out towards the sound of the screaming.

"Throat-cutters…there will be dozens of them out there," Filli stated casually. I was rather confused. "The lowlands are crawling with them.

What was an orc?

"They strike in the middle of the night while everyone is asleep. Quick and quiet, no screams…just lots of blood," Killi told and I watched as a shadow of fear came onto the hobbit's face. The two brothers then snickered quietly to themselves and I felt my jaw drop. What a mean joke!

"Do you think a night raid made by orcs is a joke?" Thorin told as he stood up and walked by Bilbo. The two brothers quickly became ashamed of their actions and looked down.

"We didn't mean anything by it," Killi offered.

"I know you didn't. You know nothing of the world," he told gruffly before he walked away from the camp.

Balin then began to tell a tale of Thorin's grandfather hoping to take back the Mines of Moria after Smaug had claimed Erebor. I listened intently as I learned that Thorin truly was a prince, a prince that had watched as his grandfather was beheaded by the white orc and his father driven to madness. He would never see his father again. I looked over at Thorin as Balin spoke of him cutting off the arm of the orc that had tried to wipe out his family line and felt a sense of pride. He had fought for his people and continues to do so. I felt tied to him and his cause more than ever now. Bilbo asked what had happened to Azog and I felt the mist of the moment end as Thorin grumbled out that Azog died from his wounds.

Everyone paused to look at their king as he walked away from the camp a little bit more. I heard Gandalf sigh behind me and I followed suit with one of my own. I leaned back and decided to get some sleep. I curled into a small ball and ignored the requests that the trees made in regards to making me a home. I fell asleep only moments before they warned me that danger would be coming in only a matter of time.


End file.
